Something Borrowed
by llembas
Summary: Remus and Sirius attend James and Lily's wedding.   Sirius/Remus


Sirius was late. Not just Sirius-ly late but seriously late.

There were a few things in life that you weren't allowed to be late for. A wedding where you're the best man was near the top of the list. Being late for your own wedding was the only thing that could be worse. But since Sirius would never be taking that walk down the aisle, this was the closest he would get to his own wedding.

Sirius apparated in such a hurry that he landed in an ungraceful heap on the sofa in the middle of their flat. Thinking of it as "their" flat made Sirius grin. Remus had only moved into the place a month ago, after leaving Hogwarts. He kicked his shoes off, sending one flying across the room. Then pealed off his jeans.

"What took you so long?" Remus growled from the other room. "James has flooed us three times already. He's waiting."

Sirius had a very good excuse but he kept his mouth shut. When Remus spoke with the wolf voice it was best to leave him alone. Besides, the wolf voice was also very sexy. At least it was sexy when Remus wasn't too angry. How angry could he be? There was still plenty of time before the ceremony. Wasn't there? Sirius glanced at his watch. Ok, maybe there wasn't.

As he struggled to pull off his shirt, he dared a glance at Remus. Maybe he wouldn't be too mad. Maybe - -

Sirius froze in place, his t-shirt bunched around his neck and still on one arm. His mouth opened and shut several times. "Damn."

Remus frowned. "What's wrong? Have I got something on wrong?" He looked down at himself.

Sirius swallowed. "No. You - - you look - - " Sirius searched for the right word and settled on his initial reaction. "Damn."

Sirius had seen pictures of muggle weddings but he'd never been to one himself. As if dress robes weren't bad enough, muggles had it worse. He'd always thought the outfits were ridiculous; the white dresses the fancy tuxedos. Instead of being the supportive best man, he'd complained his way through the entire process of renting a tux.

He wasn't complaining now.

Sirius had always found Remus attractive. But this. Damn. Sirius couldn't take his eyes off him.

"Like it?" Remus pulled open the jacket to give Sirius a better look.

"Like." Sirius's vocabulary had been condensed to one word sentences. If it hadn't been for the impatient expression on Remus's face, Sirius would have said, "Shag. Now."

If he had, Remus would have just laughed. Today, though, there was barely enough time for a kiss, much less anything else. As it was they'd be cutting it close to make it to the wedding on time.

Remus grabbed the shirt around Sirius's neck and yanked it over his head, half-strangling him in the process. What was Remus wearing? He smelled delicious. Did he have any idea the kind of effect he was having on him?

"Come on, you can gawk at me during the ceremony." Remus grinned. "Hurry up."

So maybe Remus had noticed. Sirius supposed it was a bit obvious with his boxers tenting up like a muggle's circus big-top.

"Accio Tuxedo!"

They both scrambled to pull the plastic wrapping off the tux.

It seemed that Sirius had an extra pair of hands. Of course, his own hands never produced quite the reaction that Remus's did as they brushed over his stomach while buttoning up the shirt. Sirius struggled to get his pants on. He cringed. They'd fit at the store. How long before he could take them off? Hours? He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as Remus adjusted his tie. Sirius leaned in a little closer than necessary. His body lightly pressed against Remus. And if he leaned in just a little more. His lips drifted over the soft skin on the side of his neck. Arms slipped around his waist.

"Remus! Is he back yet?" A frantic voice came from the fireplace.

Remus laughed. "Let's get this over with."

They apparated into a small closet in the muggle church. Before he'd even had a chance to get his bearings, James had yanked him out into hall.

"Do you have the ring?" He looked slightly panicked. Even his hair wasn't immune to his nerves. It stuck up in all directions more out of place than usual.

Sirius held up his pinky where the small silver band had been placed for safe keeping.

"Good. The reception is all wizard but the ceremony isn't. There are loads of muggles here so be careful." James shifted his weight nervously and stared at his feet. "And not everybody knows about the…two of you so –"

"No snogging in the bushes. Got it," Remus said.

The minister stuck his head into the hallway. "It's show time."

As wedding ceremonies go, Sirius guessed it was a nice one. It was short. Vows were said. Rings exchanged. Lily looked lovely. James looked petrified. Petunia kept eyeing him from the other side of the alter where the brides maids were standing. Remus stood behind him so he didn't get the pleasure of looking at him during the ceremony at all. If he had known that he would never have agreed to be best man. And throughout the whole ordeal, Peter was snapping pictures.

The reception was held in the Potter's back yard. Those who had managed to look like respectable muggles during the wedding ceremony had changed into respectable wizards by the reception. Magic was everywhere. Fairy lights hovered in the air. Flowers overflowed the tables. Drinks flowed from an enchanted fountain that approached your cup and refilled it whenever it was empty.

Petunia had secluded herself in a corner of the garden. The turned up nose and distasteful expression on her face hadn't changed since he'd met her. Sirius couldn't decide whether she looked petrified or amazed. She let out a shrill scream, when the fountain approached her to refill her drink. That answered that question.

On the surface it was annoyingly happy. It was only at a closer glance that the tension could be seen. Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody shared whispers as they huddled in the corner, making sure to smile at all the right moments and laugh when the bride and groom's names were mentioned. Sirius could see the frayed nerves in the quiet conversations. The suspicious glances.

Remus handed him a drink and sat down in the chair across from him. "The way you keep staring at Dumbledore, I'm wondering if I should be jealous."

"That's sick."

"Maybe. But have you seen the way he sucks on those sugarquills? He knows more than he's letting on." Remus raised his eyebrows knowingly.

"I was too busy watching the way you suck on them." Sirius let his foot bump against Remus's leg under the table.

Their feet fought a silent battle under the table, while their eyes made quiet negotiations for a truce that neither of them really wanted. The conversations that took place with no words at all sometimes said more than their words ever could. It was easier to be honest in a glance than it was to be honest aloud. There were things tongues could do that had nothing at all to do with talking that best expressed how Sirius felt.

They didn't see Dumbledore approaching until he was right upon them.

Dumbledore smiled. "It's good to see you out of your robes."

Remus just barely covered a laugh with a cough.

"It's good to be out of them sir," Sirius said. He was always able to keep a straight face when he knew it meant making Remus laugh.

"I've been expecting you to ask me for a recommendation for Auror training," Dumbledore said.

Sirius sighed. Everything had been so easy and clear cut at Hogwarts. Here things were different. People were expecting him to make decisions about his future. All he knew was that he wanted to fight against Voldemort. The main course of action would be to apply for Auror training but that took years.

"I'm not sure that it's for me," Sirius said. "It takes a long time."

"And you want to do something now?"

Sirius nodded. "I know I don't have the training to be an Auror, but surely there's some other way I could help? Something I could do?"

"Perhaps there is," Dumbledore said, thoughtfully. And with those cryptic words he bowed and made his exit, approaching Mad-Eye on the other side of the lawn.

From across the table Remus stared at him. This was something they'd discussed during late nights wandering Diagon Alley, not anything they'd ever considered seriously during the light of day. That they would do something wasn't a question, what they were going to do had still be something of a mystery. Dumbledore had always liked mysteries, maybe he would figure this one out and save Sirius the trouble.

Across the yard, Mad-Eye Moody made no attempt to hide his staring as he fixed his gaze on the two of them. Sirius sat up a little straighter, feeling suddenly like he was being sized up. He wondered how much that eye of his could see.

"Why don't you go over there and ask for his floo number, he seems interested." Remus held back a laugh.

"It's not my fault everybody wants me."

Peter raced over and yanked on Remus's arm. "Come on, you've got to help me. I need to get the group pictures taken. No one wants to stand still long enough."

Even when he was in charge, Peter never had been able to make people pay attention to him. Remus came to his rescue, ushered the Potters into a row, straightened the lapels on James's tuxedo.

After Peter had snapped a few pictures of them, Sirius wandered out the back of the lawn to the side of the house, where the newlywed's chariot awaited them. Traditionally, thestrals pulled the chariot. This year, Sirius thought something more dramatic was in order. It wasn't something he'd consciously planned. He had fully intended to rent the thestrals. He'd stopped by Gringott's and made a withdrawal. He'd gone to the thestral farm. Fate, however, had other plans. It just so happened that the thestral farmer was also a motorbike collector.

Why rent a thestral, which half the people at the wedding probably couldn't see anyway, when he could own his very own motorbike? It wasn't a hard decision to make, especially when he discovered that with a few enchantments a motorbike could be just as aerodynamic as a thestral. By the time Sirius had left, he was the proud owner of a 1973 Triumph.

Sirius had spent hours polishing the chrome and making arrangements to have it delivered to the Potters, before he went home to change clothes and get ready for the wedding.

He pulled back the cover of the motorbike and tossed it aside.

It was just as beautiful as it was that morning when Sirius had first laid eyes on it. The chrome gleamed. The engine sparkled. It took his breath away.

There was only one small problem.

Sirius hadn't actually ever ridden a motorbike before. He wasn't completely ignorant in the operation of various modes of transportation. Muggle cars? Yes. Brooms? Certainly. But a flying motorbike was something he hadn't had an opportunity to learn.

Sirius shrugged off his jacket. There was no time like the present.

"That yours?" Petunia walked up beside him.

"Yeah." Sirius straddled the seat and gripped the handlebars. With a flick of his wrist, the engine roared to life. It was a satisfying sound. Exciting. Dangerous. It reminded him of Remus growling.

"Leaving already?" Petunia asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Just taking him out for a spin." Yes, his motorbike was a guy. A very sexy guy who growled. For a second, he considered going after Remus but Petunia had other ideas.

"Can I come? I've had about all I can take of fountains attacking me, and wedding cake hovering in the air." Petunia held her chin up defiantly.

So she wanted to avoid magic, did she? This was simply too good of a joke to pass up. Petunia Evans on a flying motorbike. It had all the marks of perfect marauding. Before he realized what he was doing, he'd patted the seat behind him and scooted up while she swung her leg over the seat behind him.

Slowly, he backed out of the driveway. Gunning the engine, he sped off down the road. He wasn't sure exactly which of the controls were used to take flight. The thestral farmer had explained it to him but he'd been so enamored by the gleaming chrome he'd barely paid attention. Sirius shrugged. It had to be one of them. He pushed the first button his finger came to. With all the grace of a thestral pulling a Hogwarts chariot, the motorbike left the ground and headed off towards the clouds.

"What? What are you doing? Ahh!" Petunia held onto him so tight, she squeezed the breath right out of him.

"Wicked!" Sirius gunned the engine and they flew still higher and higher until they were above the rooftops, then the trees, until the ground beneath them turned into a patchwork quilt of lights far below them.

"Take me down this instant!" Petunia shrieked.

Sirius laughed. "Come on loosen up. You're part of the wizarding world now. Might as well enjoy the perks."

"Take me down! Or I'll - - I'll - - "

"You'll what?" Sirius laughed.

Petunia went silent. If there one thing Sirius should have learned from his years of knowing Lily, it was to never trust an Evans when they gave in so quickly. Instead of concerning himself over Petunia's silence, he enjoyed the view of London. The city lights blanketed the ground below them as far as the eye could see. From this height, the noises of the muggles were left far behind. The wind roared in his ears, stinging his cheeks. The moon looked close enough to touch. If it had been Remus behind him instead of Petunia, the moment would have been perfect.

Sirius relaxed a bit as Petunia loosened her hold. That was much more comfortable. He could breathe again. But Petunia's hands didn't just loosen up, they started moving. Away from his waist and down lower and lower.

And lower.

It was like being held by a giant bowtruckle, one of the tree creatures who lived in the Forbidden Forest. Thin gangling limbs gripped his hips. Long fingers moved with stiff wooden movements.

And the world thought he was abnormal for liking other men? Clearly they had never been touched by the likes of Petunia Evans.

Sirius wasn't sure whether he should be aroused or disgusted. And then with a slight shift of her hands, Sirius was suddenly both - - aroused and disgusted. Most definitely disgusted.

Without a warning to Petunia, he banked the motorbike steeply to the right, arcing back around in the direction they had come. He couldn't get back to the Potter's fast enough. As long as he stayed more disgusted than aroused he'd be ok.

Petunia was doing his best to prove him wrong. Her fingers were surprisingly deft. Sirius yelped. His hands slipped off the gear shifts. For a moment they hung suspended in mid-air.

Petunia squeezed.

They plummeted towards the ground. The lights of London rose towards them closer and closer. While Sirius found himself growing closer and closer to an altogether different conclusion.

Having Petunia hanging onto him in a death grip didn't help matters any. "Pull up! Pull up!" Petunia yanked on his crotch every time she screamed as if the controls to the motorbike were located between his legs.

As the tops of the houses came into focus, Sirius managed to fumble with the gears enough to get them back under control. Not soon enough, they skidded to a halt in the Potter's front lawn.

With more grace than Sirius thought was possible after what had just happened, Petunia stepped off the motorbike, straightened her dress, and walked back towards the reception. On her face was a smug, satisfied grin.

Sirius shuddered. In the span of minutes, he'd nearly been killed and he'd been groped by Petunia. If he had to choose, he'd pick dying over having Petunia come with a meter of him again.

Sirius staggered off the motorbike and headed back to the house. He had to find Remus. Only Remus would be able to erase the feel of Petunia's arms around him. Nearly gagging at the thought, he pushed open the door to the kitchen.

Remus was leaning against the kitchen counter. His tie hung loose around his neck. The few top buttons of his shirt had been unbuttoned. Scattered in pieces on the floor, was the enchanted fountain.

"What happened?"

Remus pushed the hair back out of his face. "The fountain got a little too up close and personal with Mad-Eye."

"I'd take the fountain over Petunia any day," Sirius muttered. "Shit, I'd even take Mad-Eye over Petunia."

"Petunia?"

"Don't ask. You don't want to know, trust me. It'll scar you for life." Sirius pinned Remus against the counter, lowering his lips to the small piece of skin that peeked out from between the open top buttons just below the starched collar.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think?" Sirius buried his face in Remus's neck.

"Not here." Remus pushed Sirius off of him and glanced around warily. Outside the window, the reception was still in full swing.

"Nobody will see." Sirius moved in again, but Remus dodged him.

Before Sirius had a chance to complain, Remus started to leave the kitchen. He stopped at the edge of the door and turned around. "Well, are you coming or not?"

At first, Sirius thought it was the worst idea Remus had ever had. There was barely enough room for the two of them to squeeze into the closet. It seemed that every cloak the Potters owned was enchanted to fit inside. After fighting to shut the door, he turned back to Remus whose body was pressed against his in all the right places. And since there was no room to move, neither of them could pull away. Every breath Remus took, every slight shift of movement, Sirius could feel. It was delicious torture.

"I promised him we wouldn't snog in the bushes. I didn't say a thing about the closet," Remus said, his breath warm on Sirius's cheek. Their bodies slid against each other. Even through the layers of clothing, warm heat enfolded Sirius as Remus wrapped his arms around him.

"Moony, you're a genius." Sirius leaned into the pair of strong arms around him.

Remus smiled. "That's one of the reasons you're crazy about me."

"There are more? Besides your staggering intellect?" Sirius grinned.

Remus didn't answer.

Sirius always liked this part best. The determined look on Remus's face just before their lips touched. The same look he had before he took an important exam, or tried an especially difficult spell. As if Remus had every intention of outdoing every other kiss they'd ever shared. Most of the time he succeeded.

This time was no exception.

Sirius dropped to his knees. He'd wanted to get his hands inside those pants all day. Sirius quested for skin, untucking and unzipping until he found was he was searching for, licked his lips and bent forward.

Remus sighed and leaned against the clothes rack. His eyes closed, his face unreadable. Remus was the controlled one. The stoical one. Because the wolf had control one night of the month, Remus always had to have control every other moment. Only like this, when they were alone together did he allow that mask to come sliding off.

His calm demeanor didn't fool Sirius for a second. Remus wanted this as much as Sirius did. From the looks of things and the quick gasping breaths coming from above him, it wouldn't take long. Fingers raked through his hair, urging him to take more. Slim hips thrust towards him.

Just a little bit more. Remus jerked against him, grabbing hold of the clothes rack. It bent under his weight and he pitched forward. Sirius caught him before he fell, holding onto Remus as he shuddered in his arms.

"So, what do you say?" Sirius brushed the hair back from Remus's face. "Was that enough to convince you?"

"I never needed convincing. You jumped to that conclusion and who am I to turn you down." Remus grinned, still trying to catch his breath. "I thought if I didn't let you have your way with me, Dumbledore or Mad-Eye would take my place. Or is it Petunia now?"

Sirius laughed. "You're supposed to be helping me forget her."

"And you're supposed to be taking care of the chariot right about now," Remus said.

"Shit!" Sirius stumbled out of the closet, taking Remus with him. "You're coming too."

Along the edge of the lawn the guests gathered, tossing enchanted confetti that danced around the heads of the newlyweds before forming a giant archway shaped like a heart for them to walk through. At the end of the archway was the white chariot.

"If you kill us on this thing before I ever get a honeymoon, I'll come back to haunt you," Lily said, as she eyed the motorbike. James just laughed and pulled Lily onto the chariot, quieting her protests with kisses.

Remus climbed on behind him and they took to the darkened sky. This was the way it should be. Remus pressed warm against his back with his arms locked around him. The wind in their hair. And all of London stretched out below them.

Back at their flat, Sirius collapsed onto the couch. After tossing his jacket onto the table, Remus sat down beside him.

"The ceremony was nice." Remus said, somewhat dejectedly.

A sudden thought occurred to Sirius, they would never have a ceremony. Never have anything to make it official. None of that mattered to Sirius. It had never been a question of whether or not he was in it for keeps. From the first time he'd kissed Remus he'd known. There was no need for anyone else. Why would there be? This was Remus. If he didn't state his feelings aloud, he'd done it in a thousand other ways. Remus had to know that. "You know, we could put together our own ceremony."

"Our own?" Remus stretched his legs out on the couch, propping his feet up on Sirius's legs.

"Yeah, something appropriate for a wolf and a dog." Sirius pulled off the shoes, and traced delicate lines up and down a foot. "Instead of holding my hand, you could sniff my ass."

Remus laughed. "Just sniff?"

"We'll howl our vows to each other." Sirius said with a laugh.

Remus wedged a foot between Sirius's legs. "I'll make you howl."

Remus didn't know it, but Sirius had his own vow that didn't include howling. One that came to mind every time he looked at Remus. If spoken as a public declaration, no one would think it romantic. There was nothing about love or honor. And compared to the sweet words of Lily and James, his was more possessive than poetic. The only thing that could be said about it was that it was honest.

Remus was sprawled out against the sofa. His hair was wind-blown. The collar hung open, the buttons undone down to the middle of his chest.

_Mine._

Tugging off their clothes as he went, Sirius took his time traveling up the length of the body beneath him.

_Mine._

All at once it was a vow, an astonishment, a thankful prayer.

Remus was a secret in plain sight. The world only saw a man too young to look so weary so often and a body that was a bit too thin, despite vast amounts of sweets. But Sirius knew of the fierce strength in those arms. Sirius had mapped out the territory of his skin, knew every scar by touch.

As Sirius traced the line of a jagged scar on the inside of a thigh, Remus trembled, arching up beneath him. A wolfish growl escaped his lips. And while the world was ignorant, Sirius understood that sound, the wordless cry that hid a well of raging emotions just beneath the surface, waiting to awaken at a touch.

So Sirius touched and touched and touched, until every movement became a fight between them. To get closer. To kiss. To taste. To get to the bedroom first.

They tumbled onto the middle of the bed, Remus pulling Sirius down on top of him. Remus looked up at him. "Do you want to or - -"

"You do it." Sirius said. He rolled them over, reveling in the weight of Remus stretched out above him.

A whispered spell. An awkward adjustment of positions. An instant that Sirius wondered what the hell he'd been thinking to agree to this. But the moment passed and Remus was everywhere at once. Above him. Around him. Inside him. Touching him from the inside out. Sirius didn't want it to stop. He wanted more of the never ending rhythm of them moving together.

Far too soon, they collapsed into a sweaty heap. Sirius leaned over and picked one of the scattered pillows off the floor before shoving it under his head. By the smell, he knew the pillow belonged to Remus. Even in human form he was able to recognize it.

Sometimes Sirius changed into Padfoot so he could smell the flat. Some places smelled only of Remus. The thickly cushioned chair near the bookshelves. The top two drawers in the dresser. In other places, the distinction between the two of them was harder to sense, until it blended perfectly together. There was no individual scent of Remus or Sirius but a combination of the two of them. A new smell. Unique. Padfoot liked to roll in it.

Instead, Sirius rolled over and wrapped his arms around Remus, breathing in the smell of the two of them together. "Who needs a honeymoon anyway," Sirius said, lazily. "We've got new moons, half-quarter moons - - "

"Full moons."

Sirius eyes widened. Now that definitely wasn't something they'd ever talked about. Although, if he wanted to be completely honest with himself, the thought had crossed his mind.

Remus burst out laughing.

Sirius crept back into the bedroom. It had taken him longer than he'd thought. He'd forgotten about having to exchange his Galleons for muggle money. Luckily, Remus was still asleep. After the night they'd just had, he should sleep til noon.

As quietly as possible Sirius slid open the door to the closet, pushing his way through a tangle of clothes to the back. Remus wouldn't find it back there until the fall when he pulled out his cold weather clothes. It would be safe there. And maybe by then, he could convince Remus to wear it again. Not for long though. Half the fun of the tuxedo was in the taking it off.


End file.
